Haunted
by Casseh Valentine
Summary: Cloud is unable to awake from a mysterious nightmare concerning a certain Cetra who's soul can not return to the Planet....Yuffie helps out of worry. Vincent helps because he knows what is like to be haunted. .::Yuffentine and Cloti::.
1. Blood On His Hands

**Chapter One: Blood On His Hands**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII in any way, shape, or form. The characters and places belong to Square, but the plot is my own. This fiction takes place after Advent Children, disregarding Dirge of Cerberus.**

**-----**

Cloud turned over in his sleep, the sheets sticking to his sweating form. Though he lay on a bed in the infirmary of Tifa's Seventh Heaven Bar, his mind wandered through the City of the Ancients.

The ghostly white trees seemed to hum with the life of the Planet as he passed among them; in time he found himself being drawn to a poll of shining water, seemingly depthless.

Almost reluctantly, he stepped close enough to the water's edge so that the small ripples lapped against his boots, peering down into the cold water. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he heard a silvery voice ring out from the shadowy depths of the lake.

"Cloud…please, help me…" called the voice, so distant yet familiar. He attempted to call out, but like the last time, and the time before, no sound came from his voice. He tried to say something, anything; he tried to call _her_ name.

"Cloud…," the she called. The sound of her voice was painful. He buckled to his knees, holding his head in his hands. A terrible burning sped up into his chest, causing him to cough up a thick, crimson substance. The blood stained the white marble sand beneath him.

Her voice was everywhere now, calling him. His head spun, causing him to feel nauseous. His hands were now covered in blood. A wave of cold rushed over him along with the sudden feeling that he had to get the red substance off of his hands. He _must_ to get it off. If he did, then maybe, just maybe, the voice would quiet.

Cloud knelt beside the pool and let the water envelop his hands. Despite this, the blood would not come off. He rubbed his hands together, but in vain. He began to scrub harder and then stopped. A dark form moved under the face of the water, moving toward him. He tried to look away, but his face was seemingly plastered to the figure. It drew closer until it was almost right below him. A pair of water-logged arms reached out of the water to grab his blood stained hands. His azure eyes widened as he saw her face…

**-----**

Tifa sat upright in her bed, jolting out of a dream. Whether the dream was pleasant or no, she could not recall. All she knew now was that something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

'_Could it be the kids? No, they're staying over with Cid and Shera…'_

She swung her legs over the side of the mattress, pushing herself up into a standing position. Tifa stood still, trying to see if she could hear anything. After listening for a full minute, a wave of fear spread over her. _'Cloud,'_ her mind screamed. Something was wrong with Cloud.

She wrapped her night robe around herself, throwing the door to her room open. She didn't know why she was so worried. Cloud was only right down the hall, but she had been concerned about his health for about a year after he had fought Sephiroth for a second time. He had always had nightmares, but after that battle, he had begun to weaken. For a while, she was worried that it was Geostigma again, but that wasn't it. It was something else.

Yesterday, he had come home from a delivering a package to Icicle Town. He had only just made it in the door before he collapsed, Yuffie had reported. The young ninja was staying for a week or two, trying to get away from the Wutaian duties that her father had pressed so harshly on her.

Tifa quickened her pace as she neared the infirmary. She opened the door slowly, half expecting the whole world to awaken at the creak of a floorboard or squeak of a hinge. The woman froze with fear as she stepped into the room.

Cloud lay there on his side, clutching his head. The sheets were wet with sweat and blood as were his hands. Tifa, unconsciously holding her breath, hurried over to his side. The man looked as if he was trying to call out, but couldn't. She tried to shake him out of sleep but to no avail. Tifa sat on the edge of the mattress and felt his forehead. He was burning up.

'_Why didn't I notice he was sick? I'm supposed to take care of him,_' the woman thought, blaming herself for the man's condition. He had saved her on many occasions; twice in her youth and countess turning the past two years. Now, she sat here, a nervous wreck, unable to do a thing. Maybe this is how Cloud had felt, how he felt now, about the others that he couldn't help. Footsteps and an 'Oh my god' behind her pulled her out of her reverie. Yuffie stood behind her with her hands over her mouth, eyes the size of dinner plates.

"Teef, what's wrong with Cloud?"

The woman shook her head.

"I…don't know..."

The sleeping man furrowed his brows and whispered a name. _Her_ name…Aeris; he was dreaming-no, he was having a nightmare about the dead Ancient.

"How long has he been…sick?"

Tifa held her head in her hands.

"I didn't even know he was sick...he's been tired because of nightmares, but I didn't…"

The woman harshly scolded herself. Was that all she could say was 'I don't know'? Why didn't she know? They had been living side by side for three years now…

"Yuffie, can you think of anyone to call?"

The girl shook her head.

"How about calling Cid?"

"We can't call Cid 'cause the kids are staying with 'em and they'll worry."

Yuffie put her hands on her hips, trying to remember her comrades' phone-numbers. Only one came to mind.

"I know just who to call! May I use yours? I ran out of minutes…"

Tifa nodded. The young ninja sped out of the door into the room where Cloud kept all his delivery supplies. The phone sat on the desk next to several pictures of AVALANCHE. Picking up the phone, she dialed the number with feverish fingers. She had called him several times before just to annoy him, but this time, she really needed him. The phone rang four times before she heard a click.

"Hello…?"

She let out a relieved sigh. She didn't really think he'd answer.

"Vincent! Cloud is really, _really,_ sick. He's coughing up blood and it's pretty gross…but _anyway,_ Tifa doesn't know what to do and we were going to call Cid but he has the kids so I decided to call you! Will you _please_ get over here quick?!"

It was silent on his side of the phone for a moment.

"…the stigma?"

"No…I don't think so. There's no creepy rash or anything, but he's having a really bad nightmare. Tifa said he's been having them for a while... Could you _please_ get down here?"

Vincent exhaled suddenly.

"Yuffie…"

Yuffie stomped her foot. She was getting agitated.

"Don't even say that you can't come! Tifa is upstairs trying to figure out what's wrong and I'm worried as heck! Cloud called _her_ name…Aeris."

She lowered her voice to barely a whisper.

"He's been mumbling it in her sleep since I found him on the doorstep yesterday. It's…sad. He's been having nightmares about her…and now…we don't know what to do…"

Everything was quiet for a moment, until Vincent spoke.

"I'm in Kalm at the moment. I'll be there within the hour."

Yuffie hung up and sighed. He had hung up.

'_Well, at least he'll be here. I guess I'll go tell Tifa…'_ she thought as she ran down the hall into the infirmary.

**-----**

**Author's Note: Hey, this is Casseh. Gawd, it's about time I started another fiction. This plot has been buzzing about in my brain for the longest time. I swear, this one won't be as short as _Misery Loves Company_ or as delayed. Remember to review! By the way, this IS a CloTi and Yuffentine. No Tifa and Vincent or Cloud and Yuffie. Sorry peoples. –smiles-**


	2. Contemplations

**Chapter Two: Contemplations**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII. The characters and places belong to Square. Gawd, I'm so tired of saying this it's not even funny…**

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Yuffie had just brought up an ice-pack to Tifa and was now lying on the couch downstairs, right beside the front door. It was now a little bit after three o'clock in the morning and there was still no sign of him. Tired, she closed her eyes and began thinking to herself.

'_He just has to take his sweet time…doesn't he? Cloud could be really sick or something. What if he doesn't wake up?_' The young woman shivered at the thought of such a thing. '_Maybe Vince stopped off to take a nap in his coffin…argh, he better not have. Naw, I know he didn't. He's too nice for his own good…_' A loud knocking sound scared Yuffie so bad that she fell on the ground. Jumping up, she rushed to the door and threw it opened, revealing a somewhat startled Vincent Valentine. It had been a while since she had seen him, almost a year actually. Nothing had changed about him except for the fact that the end of his cloak was even more frayed and tattered from when she had last encountered him. His bangs hung over his crimson eyes that shone in the darkness.

"Well, it took 'ya long enough to get here, Vince!"

"…My apologies. Where is Cloud?"

Yuffie stepped to the side, allowing the man to pass. Putting her hands on her hips, she reminded herself that the dark gunman had a one-track mind.

"He's upstairs with Tifa. He's been 'coughing up chocobos' the whole time. He just stopped like, fifteen minutes ago. I thought you'd never get here…"

The ninja followed the man up the stairs and into the infirmary. Tifa stood up quickly as they walked into the room. Yuffie and Vincent both saw traces of tears on the worried woman's face. She smiled warily out of both happiness to see the man before her and out of surprise that he was even there.

"V—Vincent, thank goodness you came…"

The man nodded curtly and walked over to Cloud's bedside. The room was softly illuminated by two lamps on either side of where the sleeping man lay. Vincent laid his hand on Cloud's forehead; he didn't even need to take off his glove to find out that he had a fever.

"How long has he been like this?"

Tifa crossed her arms and shifted her weight.

"Since about yesterday…Yuffie found him and—,"

Vincent lowered his head, facing away from the door.

"I meant the nightmares."

Tifa closed her eyes, as if remembering something unpleasant and trying to banish it.

"For as long as I can remember…but please! What's wrong with him? We tried all our healing materia, but nothing worked. All that stopped was his coughing…he just won't wake up…" the woman choked out, the last word almost becoming a sob.

Vincent turned to face Tifa and Yuffie.

"I'm afraid I can not do much unless Cloud is conscious. Stress may be causing the nightmares, but unless he's awake, he can not tell me. But of the blood…I do not know."

Tifa held her head in her hands. What could she do now? Would he ever wake up? Perhaps they would have to wait until he did. But what if he didn't? What it was like last time, when he fell into the Life Stream? What if it was stress causing the nightmares and why hadn't she noticed it before?

"I'm sorry for calling you over here at this time of night just for this…"

The dark gunman shook his head.

"No, you were right to call me when you did. There may be something seriously wrong here. Is there anyone we can get in touch with?"

Yuffie was the one who answered this time.

"Hey! How about Nanaki? I'm _sure_ he knows a butt-load about this type of stuff."

Tifa furrowed her brows.

"I'm sure he does Yuffie, but I don't know how we could get in touch with him…"

The shinobi put her hands on her hips and leaned forward.

"Why don't _we_ go get him?"

The bar hostess shifted her gaze to Cloud.

"I…really don't want to leave him like this."

Yuffie smiled.

"Vince and I'll do it! We could take Cloud's bike or we could call up Highwind and take his new Airship and--,"

"But Yuffie, I really don't want to worry the kids…"

"Teef, this is an _emergency_! What if there is something _seriously_ wrong here!"

Vincent sighed and stepped away from the cot.

"If Nanaki could determine Cloud's condition, he would most probably have to inspect him in person, meaning transporting Cloud to Cosmo Canyon."

Yuffie let one arm hang by her side.

"So that settles it! We'll take the airship to Cosmo…but what about Denzel and Marlene?"

Tifa turned to walk out of the door.

"I guess I'm going to have to arrange for them to stay with Mrs. Elmyra Gainsborough…I'm sure she won't mind. She's been pretty lonely since…"

Everyone bowed their head in solemn remembrance. Tifa walked out of the room to go make a couple of phone calls, leaving Yuffie and Vincent in silence. The shinobi walked over and sat in a chair beside the bed while Vincent stood against the wall and looked out the window.

It was still dark outside and the moon was only half visible from behind dark grey clouds; typical for mid-September. The dark gunman closed his eyes, exhausted from his journey, and contemplated the predicament at hand. From what Yuffie had told him, all he could conclude at the moment was that Cloud was stuck in a nightmare concerning Aeris. There was a connection between his dreams and illness. And somehow, the Cetra was tied in there as well. A never-ending nightmare.

'_What have you gotten yourself into this time, Valentine?_' he asked himself, almost expecting an answer from a darker part of his mind known as Chaos. None came, but somewhere inside of him, he knew it was almost his responsibility. He scoffed at himself.

'_It is my responsibility as what; a human? No, I don't even have the luxury to call myself that. It is my responsibility as a being that is trapped in the same hell as Cloud is currently experiencing, even though in a different sense._'

The man opened his eyes and shifted his gaze to the young woman stroking through the spiky hair of the sleeping man in a motherly fashion. His eyes softened for a moment as he watched her. The way she kept her eyes trained on his closed ones, silently begging him to wake up, allured him. She wasn't the same child he had known. Or, at least he thought.

Yuffie felt his eyes almost boring into her soul. He had always had those eyes; half the time they scared her. She jerked her head up, grey eyes of innocence meeting demon-red eyes seemingly stained with blood. Breaking the awkward silence that seemed to penetrate the room, she jumped up and put her hands on her hips.

"Hey, you seem tired…why don't you get some sleep? I've been staying in the kid's room and Cloud's isn't occupied at the moment. I'll go see if Tifa will get that set up for 'ya, okay?" The girl rambled as she walked out of the door, leaving Vincent to ponder whether she had changed at all…

**-----**

**Author's Note: Hiya, this is Casseh. Thanks to the three people that have reviewed so far. I was kinda hoping that more would review…but I'm sure once I get more chapters up that'll change. So, in the next chapter they're going to set out to Cosmo. Yay! Review!**


	3. The Shera

**Chapter Three: The Shera**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, Square does. I do not own any of the characters, but the plot of this particular story is my own. Steal and die. **

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Yuffie zipped up her small backpack that was now almost full to bursting. Of course, she had to pack a butt-load of tranquillizers as well as remedies to help her airsickness. She had tried just about everything to cure it completely during their adventures three years ago on their 'oh so frequent' Highwind rides, but to no avail. She also found her self packing attack as well as defense Materia out of habit. The shinobi smiled, remembering the old days. Also out of habit, she folded up her Conformer and slid it into its proper place, hanging from the side of her pack.

She remembered the day that she found this particular weapon. She, Cloud, and Vincent had discovered the Gelnika while looking for the Key of the Ancients with the submarine that they 'borrowed'. It had been quite a while since she had used it…

"Who knows," she asked herself, "Maybe we'll run into some beasties along the way! I haven't kicked anything's butt in _months_…" She slipped her arms into the straps of the backpack and headed downstairs where everyone was waiting. Vincent stood near a corner, the Death Penalty by his side, slots full with Materia. Cid had just finished off another cigarette as Yuffie entered the room.

"Hey Brat, long time no see!"

Yuffie grinned.

"You still are smokin' those Cancer Sticks, old man?"

Cid put his head in his hand.

"You still nicking Materia?"

"I don't only steal Materia. Why don't you check your pocket?"

Vincent raised his eyebrows in amusement as Cid removed his hand from his face and stuck it in his shirt pocket.

"Where the heck did 'ya put my cigarettes, kid?!"

Yuffie chuckled as she threw the carton to Vincent.

"Hey Vinnie, catch!"

The man caught them with his human hand and then deftly tossed them back to the bewildered pilot.

"We have no time for this. The sooner we get Cloud to Cosmo the better."

Yuffie tightened the straps on her book-bag.

"Hey, where are Tifa and Cloud?"

Vincent moved toward the door.

"They are already on the Shera…which is parked in the plaza around the corner."

The shinobi's eyes widened with hilarity.

"Cid parked the airship in the _plaza_?"

The man in question made his way to the door as well.

"Hey, there was now where else to park!"

Yuffie let out a short sigh as she followed Cid out the door onto the grey streets of Edge, Vincent locking the door to the bar as Tifa had requested. They made their way around the corner, people pointing at the weapon that the dark gunman carried at his side, making no effort to conceal it. Out of the corner of her eye, Yuffie saw a small group of prim girls staring at her with their mocking eyes.

Normally, the shinobi would have walked over there and 'accidentally' ignited a fire materia on the hem of their skirts…but not this time. She hurried along beside Vincent and Cid who had almost left her. The airship was in sight now. Tifa had the hatch open, waving to them. As they climbed into the Shera, Yuffie noticed that it was almost the same as the Highwind in some perspectives. The layout was almost the same…but there were individual bedrooms, an infirmary, a cargo hold, a small room that would best be described as a lounge and a bathroom. Oh boy was she grateful about _that_! She uncorked the bottle of the tranquillizer and chugged; within minutes, she was sleeping soundly and would not awaken for several hours.

**-----**

Vincent looked out the window of the Shera, watching the gradual transition of the terrain that was so far below them. Gaining altitude, clouds began to obscure his view, and soon, finding watching the sky a poor way to pass the time. He turned and began to move towards the door of the infirmary, then stopped; Tifa was bent over Cloud with a cheerless look on her face. She turned in the direction of the cloaked man, his face currently hidden from sight.

"…why…won't he wake up…?"

The man bent his head slightly as the question rang through his head like a silvery bell. Why wouldn't he awaken and what had lead to his condition? This was one of the many things he was unsure of. Such uncertainty in such a situation could lead to fatality if information did not present itself soon.

"The answers lay in Cosmo Canyon, Tifa. Of that I am sure."

But was he really sure? Could he afford not to be? What if Nanaki was not in Cosmo at the time and Cloud had taken a turn for the worse? What if he was there but did not know the answer to their predicament? Many situations and scenarios presented themselves as the dark gunman made his way down the hall, wandering in thought until he stumbled upon a room that was apparently created for relaxation purposes. Such a thing would have been very useful during AVALANCHE's down time in the quest to defeat Sephiroth.

Sitting down on the sofa closest to the corner, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. They would be arriving in Cosmo Canyon in an hour or two, just enough time to get some sleep. He had stayed up all last night watching over Cloud in his comatose state. It was truly a sight to be pitied; the spiky-haired man occasionally coughed up blood and turned from side to side in his nightmarish sleep. Vincent only hoped that something could be done. If nothing _could_ be done…The man furrowed his brows as the idea presented itself. If Cloud stayed in such a state for ever, he might be stuck in a nightmare forever…just like his self.

His eyes snapped open as he sensed movement in the room. Lifting up his head and turning it slightly, he saw a knocked-out Yuffie curled up on the adjacent couch, unconsciously reaching for the blanket that had fallen off of her petite form.

Spying the offending cover on the floor, he stood up and grasped it lightly in his gloved hand. He draped it over the sleeping young woman; as he did so, she twitched ever so slightly, sending a tinge of alarm through him. When she did not wake up, he smiled thankfully. If she had awoken, she would have probably moaned about the sick feeling in her stomach that usually presented itself after airsickness.

Treading back over to the couch opposite her own, he assumed his previous position and drifted into his own nightmare filled sleep.

**-----**

Author's Note: Gawd, it took me forever to get that one done. After the whole story is done, I am going to go back and add smaller details just as I am about to do with '_Misery Loves Company'_. As if I'm going to be doing that any time soon.

–smiles-

Review or I will hunt you down and spray you with cheese. Yeah, I will.


	4. Tranquillizer Interlude

**Chapter Four: Tranquillizer Interlude**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or the characters. Gawd, I wonder how many times I've said this in the past year? GEEZE!**

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Vincent's eyes snapped open as Cid howled over the airship's intercom stating that they were arriving at Cosmo Canyon and that they 'had better be ready or he was leaving their sorry selves'. Adjusting himself into a sitting position and scanning the room, he found that Yuffie was still sleeping on the couch adjacent to him. Moving closer, he found that she was clutching her blanket tightly as she murmured something. At first, he thought that she was having a bad dream, but then she said something to the effect of 'stupid chocobo breeding', signifying that no nightmare penetrated her dreams.

He knelt down beside the couch and shook her gently with his gloved hand. The girl pinched her eyebrows together, unwilling to awaken.

"Yuffie, wake up."

The girl slowly opened her grey eyes which widened suddenly when they met crimson.

"Vincent?"

"Yuffie, it's time to go. We've about to land near Cosmo Canyon."

She stood up, tossing the blanket off of her and picked up her small back-pack which she slung her arms through with a small yawn.

"Man, thank Leviathan for those tranquillizers, but why do they have to make me feel like crud when I wake up?"

The two walked out of the room in silence and into the hall. After a minute, Vincent unexpectedly broke the silence.

"They aren't good for you."

Yuffie stopped and turned around. She hadn't really expected him to say anything and what he had said made no sense to her. But when did she _ever_ understand him?

"What the heck are you talking about?"

He lowered his head, causing a few stray black strands of hair to fall before his eyes.

"The tranquillizers; they aren't good for you."

The girl tilted her head to the side as she put her hands on her hips. She had always used tranquillizers as relief from her air and seasickness.

"What's so wrong with it?"

"I never said anything was wrong with it. They just aren't good for you."

"Why not?"

"They are known to weaken your immune system to the point where even a cold can become a major problem. In research conducted by Shin-Ra, people who use them frequently can develop a dependency on them. Providing temporary relief, it causes you ill in the long run."

Yuffie shifted her weight as she crossed her arms.

"So basically, I can get sick easier and become addicted?"

Vincent was secretly bewildered, despite his cool demeanor, that she had understood that. He had never carried on a conversation with anyone in AVALANCHE besides Cloud and Nanaki, Yuffie being the last person he would have thought to converse to. During their trek to defeat Sephiroth, she always seemed like a ditzy teenager with a materia obsession. But since the Geostigma incident, she seemed to have grown up, even if only a little.

"Yes, Yuffie. Exactly like that."

"So you're saying I shouldn't use them anymore?"

"I am merely stating that any dependency--,"

Vincent's explanation was cut off by a lurch caused by the landing of the airship. He slammed his clawed arm against the wall to steady himself as Yuffie, loosing her balance, was thrown forward unexpectedly against the dark man, who clutched her with his gloved hand.

Cid's voice called over the intercom informing the two surprised passengers that everything was fine and that they had just landed. The Shera gave one last jolt as the engines were shut off.

Yuffie looked up to find Vincent looking down at her. She had never really seen him up close. The collar of his cloak bend forward just enough so she could see his whole face. The most she ever saw of him were his eyes. But somehow, these eyes weren't the same as before. How could they? Though they were the abnormal color of crimson, they shone with a brilliance that rivaled Cloud's own Mako-enhanced eyes with an otherworldly beauty. No, these weren't the same cold, indifferent eyes that always seemed so far away.

She was brought out of her secluded thoughts by Vincent's voice, which she felt rumble in his chest, being so close.

"Yuffie, it's time to go."

The girl pulled away from his arm awkwardly.

"Geeze, Cid really needs some extra flying lessons with landings like _that_…"

Vincent retracted his false appendage from the wall, moving past the girl in a soft stride, save the slight tapping of the metal from the tip of his boots. As he passed her, she noticed his eyes once more. But this time, they had returned to their old frozen gaze that she was so accustomed to, yet wished she wasn't. In the back of her mind, she enjoyed the way he looked just moments before.

**-----**

Yuffie walked briskly in front of the group with Tifa right behind her. Vincent and Cid took turns carrying the incapacitated Cloud as they trekked up the side of the slope.

"Hey old man, why didn't we park next to Cosmo? It sure would beat walking."

Cid lit another cigarette since it was not his turn to carry the swordsman at the moment.

"It's because, brat, the Shera can't park on this kind of terrain."

Yuffie didn't want to take that as an answer.

"Geeze, after doing all that modifying on that airship of yours, it still doesn't do something as simple as _that_?"

"What do you know, kid?" The man snapped.

The girl stuck her tongue out childishly.

"More than you, 'ya old fart!"

Yuffie sped up her pace, moving farther ahead of the group, seeing Cosmo Canyon up ahead. She was somewhat disappointed that they hadn't run into any monsters. But then again, what if they had attacked Cloud in his current state? The shinobi shuttered to think. She ran up the hill to rest at the Cosmo Canyon Wall, while taunting Cid to hurry his 'worn out behind' up.

**-----  
**

**Author's Note: Hey, it's Casseh at 9:01 in the morning on November 17. I'm about to leave to go do something with the 4-H club. My sister is doing her DPA project and I've signed up to be a teen leader. So…during my downtime this weekend…I'm going to be writing the next chapter by hand. That is IF I have any downtime. I hope you liked the itty-bitty fluff moment between Vincent and Yuffie. I've kinda figured that the theme is going to be nightmares and 'the window to your soul'. Yeah, I mean eyes. Nightmares and eyes…how morbid; I'm starting to sound like our Vinnie! ;; Oh well, this story is supposed to be pretty dark. And it's going to be long. Yeah…at least I hope it is. Anyway, I won't be back until Saturday afternoon, so I'll try to put something up then.**

**REVIEW!!**

**PS: I think that the Tranquillizer dependency will play a part later on. Not sure.**


	5. Command Materia

**Chapter Five: Command Materia**

**Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII or the characters, but the plot in this particular story is my own, so no stealing. Got it memorized? **

–**grins-**

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Vincent leaned against the wall, watching Nanaki examine Cloud with deep interest. The blonde swordsman lay on the same couch that Bugenhagen had laid on when he returned to the Planet. The cloaked man turned his head away from where Cloud lay to where Tifa sat with a worried, yet hopeful look on her face.

'_She has been through a lot_,' he surmised as he pressed the sides of his head with his gloved hand, exhaling audibly. This sound made Nanaki prick up his ears, reminding him that there were others in the room with him.

He lifted his head and moved away from the couch to the centre of the room. Everyone turned their attention to the giant lion as he padded closer. Lifting his mane, he began to speak.

"I can truly say that this is quite an odd case of post-traumatic stress…but with signs of comatose at the same time."

Tifa jerked her head up. "Stress?"

Nanaki nodded. "From what you told me…it has to do with a certain Cetra that died to save the Planet. Also, Cloud seems to be stuck in R.E.M. state."

Yuffie, who was sitting beside Tifa although quiet the whole time, spoke. "Ah…yeah; can someone explain that, please?"

"R.E.M means 'Rapid Eye Movement'. That is the time where you sleep the lightest and remember what you dream the most vivid," Vincent clipped Turk-fashion; "Cloud seems to me stuck in that phase and can not awaken."

Yuffie nodded in understanding as Nanaki continued. "The reason that he was coughing up blood was probably due to extreme stress. His nightmare must be bothering him severely."

Yuffie shifted her legs into a crossed style. "But why can't he wake up? What if we knew what he was dreaming? There has to be something we can do, right?!" She glanced around furiously.

Nanaki put a paw on her knee comfortingly. "There is something we can do right now…would you happen to have a Manipulate Materia on hand, Yuffie?"

The shinobi brightened as she reached into her bag, pulling out a mastered yellow command materia. Nanaki nodded as she installed it into the bangle on his left arm.

"Since we do not know what the cause of his state is perhaps he can give us some idea himself."

Everyone in the room watched intently as the materia began to glow as Nanaki directed the magic toward the sleeping man. Tifa's breath hitched as her beloved began to open his eyes very slowly.

The ethereal eyes she once knew, so full of life and vibrancy, were now dull and glazed-over. Though he was seemingly awake, he was totally unconscious of anything. Tension spread throughout the room as the group watched the unblinking man. Nanaki jumped deftly onto a chair right beside the couch on which the man lay and began to ask him simple questions concerning his identity.

"Who are you," the lion asked.

"I am Cloud Strife: twenty-four years old," he clipped with a dead tone to his voice.

"Good. Cloud, where are you?"

"I am in the City of the Ancients."

This startled everyone; even Vincent felt uneasy which he showed by knitting his eyebrows together. Tifa's heart 'skipped a beat' as he said this. Hadn't he moved on? Was he--?! Dare she even think it?

All this time that they had lived together, was his mind and heart still back in that forever-winter forest; did he still linger over… _her_?

"Cloud, what do you see?"

There was an unnatural pause that hung in the air for a moment and then the man spoke.

"I see white trees and a shining green orb beside a pool of water. There is blood on my hands. I am beside the water which is forming ripples very close to me. I see--!!"

The man shook violently as he unconsciously brought his hands to cover his mouth. Coughs racked his body and a red substance sputtered over his hands. Tifa jumped up to move beside him, cradling his face in her hands.

After the coughing subsided and the blood removed, Nanaki began to question him once more.

"Cloud, what is in the water?"

The man's eyes widened slightly.

"She's there. She is grabbing my arm and calling my name. Something is wrong. She is speaking."

Yuffie felt her heart beat pounding in her chest. It was Aeris! '_But…she's gone. She's dead and she isn't coming back. So why is Cloud dreaming about her? God, I'm so confused...! What's going on?'_

"Cloud, what is she saying?"

"I…I can't understand her. Only a few words: connected; materia; Planet; Cetra; and trapped. She is crying. There is blood everywhere….I…can't…!"

Then his eyes closed as the Manipulate Materia's radiance faded, allowing the room to be filled with the natural light of the Sun that had almost faded beyond the sea. Nanaki returned the Materia by nudging it out of its place in the bangle and rolling it over to where Yuffie sat. Vincent's face, which never displayed too much emotion, was now plastered with unease. Nanaki lay his head on Tifa's lap to comfort her, who was now attempting to hold back the warm tears that were gathering behind her eyes.

She was so tired of hearing that name! Aeris…she was her best friend…and yet, with no personal grudge against her, why was all this happening and what did it have to do with Cloud!? She buried her head into Nanaki's mane as sobs flowed against her will as the giant lion purred with sympathy.

Yuffie hugged a couch pillow as she stared across the room at the sleeping man who had just spoken. She remembered the hollow eyes he had possessed just moments before. This was all because of Aeris? She lowered her eyes as she considered what had just happened.

Minutes passed as Tifa's sobs softened. How long had it been since she cried like that? It had been…so long; actually it had only been three years ago, when Cloud had fallen into the Lifestream the first time. She had nightmares about it sometimes; he would wake her up and hold her close to him, telling her everything was all right and that he was there with her.

Their relationship hadn't progressed much, but they had still been together and that was enough. Now…she was alone. It was like before; he had been there, but only half way. This time it was in a more literal sense. She knew…that he didn't mean it. It wasn't his fault; it never was. She lifted her head and wiped the remaining tears away, thanking Nanaki for the support. He nodded and moved to the middle of the room, speaking to everyone.

"It appears that Aeris has much, if not all, to do with Cloud's situation. I have a theory as to what is happening inside Cloud's psyche and in the Forgotten City. Yes, there is something happening."

Yuffie tightened her grip on the pillow she clutched.

"Is the Planet in danger again?"

Nanaki shook his head.

"No, not this time; but I am afraid the soul of our dear departed Cetra may be. We will continue this conversation tomorrow, if that is alright with you. I will research this further tonight. Vincent, would you and Cid kindly move Cloud to the Cosmo Infirmary? There would not be enough room here for all of you if he continued to occupy that space; he will also get better treatment there. We can give him a natural remedy that will hopefully put a temporary cease to the nightmares."

Vincent and Cid proceeded to lift Cloud simultaneously, moving toward the door, which Yuffie jumped up to open for them. The two men nodded in thanks, making their way out of the room. Tifa stood up after the door had been shut, rubbing her eyes which burned from the hot tears that had stung so badly earlier.

"Thank you so much for helping us, Nanaki. Is there anything I could do to help?"

The lion sat back on his haunches.

"You're quite welcome, Tifa. I could never leave my comrades in trouble. But right now, we can not do anything for Cloud until my research is completed, but feel free to make yourselves at home. This is as much your house as my own."

"Oh, but I know there's something we could do in the meantime…" Tifa said softly.

Yuffie put a hand on the bar-hostess' shoulder enthusiastically.

"Hey, why don't we get something to eat? I know the guys have got to be starving as much as I am…"

Nanaki nodded.

"I'm not sure what I can offer…I'm sure the food I eat doesn't suit the taste of humans. Although since the defeat of Sephiroth, we have expanded the town to suit the needs of people visiting. Such expansions included the infirmary and a small market. I am sure that you may find food suitable for your needs."

"Hey Tifa," Yuffie said softly, "Why don't you rest for a while? I don't think you've slept at all since Cloud's been like this…"

"Thank you, Yuffie. You're right…I am very tired." She ended this sentence by stretching her arms.

The lion made a motion with his head toward the stairs behind them.

"Grandfather's bed is on the second floor and there are some blankets and such that you may use."

The woman bowed gratefully and made her way upstairs while Yuffie quietly stepped outside. Nanaki smiled and thought to himself how fast the shinobi had grown up.

**-----**

**Author's Note: GOD that was long. Or…at least it was long to me. Gah! Anywho, this story IS going somewhere, I PROMISE! Although I have only a vague idea as to how it'll end. But hey, every writer never has a clear picture of how things are going, right? Wait- am I the only one?! EEP! Anyway, this chapter was focused more on Tifa and Cloud, as you can tell. Vincent and Yuffie'll have their fluff and stuff later on. **

**REVIEW or BE SPORKED!**


	6. Hell Hath No Fury

**Chapter Six: Hell Hath No Fury  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or the characters, but this particular plot is mine. Steal and be stir-fried! **

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Yuffie bowed courteously after paying for the groceries, although being a thief she really wasn't used to doing this, then made her way though the small crowd. She hadn't paid it much attention when she first entered the village, but it had become quite busy over the years. People crowded around the giant campfire that was ever blazing; many were pointing out the far off constellations to their children that were shining in the nighttime sky. The shinobi stopped for a moment to breathe in the autumn air. '_Fall here smells different than fall in Wutai…,_' she thought, staring up into space.

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Vincent leaned against the outer stone wall of the infirmary overlooking the small village which was unexpectedly busy for this time of year. He watched with crimson eyes half hidden by his eyelashes. The orange-red moon hung full over Cosmo Canyon like it always did this time of year, quite different from the moon in Nibelhiem which looked desolate as it hung over the wretched mountains. Although, _she_ liked the way it looked. But then again…_she_ would.

He exhaled noisily, the crisp air turned his breath into a visible cloud of cold air as soon as it left his mouth. He looked down into the crowd; soon a familiar figure standing in the midst of the people caught his eye. Yuffie stood with a soft smile on her face, staring up at the same moon he had been looking at a moment ago.

Two men were walking past her and bumped into her; this caught his attention as he moved to the railing to get a closer look at the situation. Apparently, they hadn't noticed she was there. She began to advance upon them, and then stopped, dropping the basket she had griped tightly moments before; fury seethed out of her every pore in her being; even _that_ he could see even from this distance. Sensing trouble, the dark gunman pulled himself onto the railing and jumped off, his crimson and tattered cape fluttering behind him. When his metal tipped boots came into contact with the dirt ground, he pushed off with one deft movement and began walking as if he hadn't jumped off a full two story building just a second before.

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She was yanked out of her reverie when two out-of-town merchants deeply intrigued in their private conversation bumped into her. Yuffie turned to give them a good verbal bashing but stopped suddenly, dropping her basket.

"Man, I'm sure glad we came to this town," said the first man.

The other man nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, if Cosmo keeps it up, they're going to get as many tourists as Wutai! If we stay here long enough, we'll be making big gil!"

The two men chuckled lightly for a brief moment, but only a moment. Yuffie blindly grabbed one of the men by the back of the shirt and whirled them around. Fury was plastered on her face; that was quite obvious.

"Whoa, w-what'd I do?!"

Yuffie glared into the man's eyes with an unholy fury.

"WHAT did you just SAY about WUTAI?!"

The second man tried to wrench her grip off of his companion, but to no avail as she sent the man flying with a deft yet fierce kick of her leg.

"Wutai is an **_honorable_** country, not a tourist trap that some **_low-life_** merchants make a living off of!! Just because Dad messed the heck out of it doesn't mean you can just --!!"

The young woman stopped short as she felt a gloved hand on her shoulder. She shuddered at the unexpected sudden contact, half prepared to turn around and knock the offending person into next week. Then, she realized who was behind her.

Releasing her grip on the frightened man she turned around to face Vincent Valentine whose face was half hidden by shadow, save his crimson eyes, which consequently seemed to frighten the victim of the ninja's rage even more. The man turned tail and ran into what appeared to be the inn of the small village.

"Yuffie, why did you--?"

The shinobi turned her head away.

"He insulted Wutai! He deserved it!"

Vincent tried to catch a glimpse of her face which was now hidden by her short cut Wutanise hair. He gently placed his hand under her chin, forcing her gaze to meet his. Her face was now a light pink which was most likely due to shame that was brought upon by the scene she had just caused in the crowd of people. But above all, she was crying. Hot tears ran in a steady stream down her face, rolling down her cheek; some onto the gloved hand that held her chin.

"He didn't know, Yuffie."

The shinobi clenched her fists in protest, but said nothing, only letting the tears fall in-between small sobs that she tried to hold back. Whether out of instinct or something hidden deep inside her that she could not recall out of anger, she leaned her head forward to rest on his chest, closing the miniscule space in-between herself and the gunslinger whose face was hidden in darkness. If she had seen it at that moment, she would have seen his eyes widen very slightly at the sudden contact, but then soften just as suddenly as he removed his hand and drew her closer to him. She was all of a sudden pressed against a wall of cool leather and warm red material which brushed against her cheek.

She would have looked up if she hadn't wanted him to see the warm blush that spread across her face. She wanted to run far away…away from the crowd of people that moved by…away from Cloud's situation…away from her resentment…

But at the same time, she just wanted to stay there…unmoving. Yuffie shut her eyes tightly to force out her oncoming thoughts. No, Vincent is only doing this to comfort her…just like he did for Marlene in the City of the Ancients. But there was no way that little Marlene felt at that moment the way she did now. Her tears came slowly now, only one at a time instead of the plethora of sobs from before. Her hands that had been balled into fist now hung loosely at her side, uselessly.

"Yuffie, we should get going," he said in a deep baritone. Such a simple sentence with no hidden meaning behind it whatsoever; how in the _world_ did it just send a shiver coursing through her?

She nodded simply, for once being at a complete and total loss for words. Vincent released her from his grip and bent over to pick up the basket she had dropped in her anger moments ago. He returned it to her which she took with a shaking hand.

"I'm…sorry I went crazy like that. I wonder what that guy…must have thought of me… it's just…after all these years…I'm still angry. Even though Shin-Ra Company is dead…it still lives on…even in Wutai. It's because of Shin-Ra that it's the tourist trap that it is." She said bitterly

He simply nodded as they began to ascend the several flights of stairs that led to Nanaki's place. After several minutes, the gunman's deep voice broke the silence.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn."

Yuffie jerked her head up, trying to figure out what he meant. Did she space out during conversation…she couldn't remember if she had said anything…

"What are you talking about? You're not going crazy too…are you?"

The man bent his head slowly, covering his mouth with the collar of his cloak.

"It means that men would rather face Hell than a woman's anger."

"Oh….but," she said, turning around one step above him, hands on her hips, "I'm still a kid, so that doesn't really apply to me, now does it!" She grinned childishly and began to run up the stairs.

The man lifted his head gravely, his ruby eyes bathed in the light of the moon, giving them an unearthly glow. Letting out breath of cold air, he sighed. When Yuffie was out of sight, he smiled under the folds of his cloak.

"Yuffie," the man whispered, "it is good for you to hold onto innocence, but you are indeed no child anymore, no mater what you may believe."

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**Author's Note: Yay! I'm so glad that's finally done. Hardly anyone reviewed on my last chapter…so ya'll had better make up on it this time. The plot line is going to pick up FAST during the next chapter, so don't worry: I know what I'm doing…at least, I think I do…**

**Anyway, I hope you liked your Vincent and Yuffie fluff for today. Not much fluff, really. But hey, that took me forever to write, so appreciate it! Peace!**


	7. Alleged Illness

**Chapter Seven: Alleged Illness**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or anything belonging to Square Enix.**

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The following morning, everyone gathered in the living room to hear the results of Nanaki's research regarding Cloud's condition. Vincent, as usual, stood against the wall while Tifa sat on the couch closest to the large lion. Yuffie sat with her legs tucked under her on a large, overstuffed chair beside the large window from which a steady steam of frigid air. '_Hmm, even in Cosmo I guess it actually gets cold at the end of the year. I almost thought it was always hot here…_' the shinobi thought to her self, directing her attention back to Nanaki, who made a deep growl in his throat as to notify the occupants of the room that he was preparing to speak.

"I had a peculiar feeling something like this had happened, but I did not know the full extent of it until now."

Tifa clasped her hands together in her lap.

"What is it? Is Cloud very sick?" She asked anxiously.

The lion shook his head.

"No, he is not inflicted with any illness as we know it. It has puzzled the doctors tremendously. They came to many conclusions, but I found one that is as precise as we may get."

He took a breath and began again.

"First, we must examine the Cetra, for this has more to do with Aeris than with Cloud. Aeris, as you know, carried the White Materia with her wherever she went, never letting it out of the ribbon in her hair unless needed. Before her, he it was her mother's and most probably her mother's and so on and so forth. The Ancients, as you know, were connected to the Planet, but how so? That would be through the elusive White Materia, the Key to the Planet."

Tifa rested her head in her hand.

"But, what does this have to do with Cloud?"

The lion sat back on his haunches.

"You'll see in a moment, Tifa. As I was saying, Aeris held this Materia with her at all times. And being a Cetra, her soul was bound to it. Upon her untimely death, she did not return to the Planet. Her body did, of course, return the Planet…technically. But spiritually, she did not, for her spiritual being was still here. The soul, in general, can only be returned if the container it is attached is ultimately destroyed, like the body. Now, in Aeris' case, her soul is attached to an earthly object. Said object, being the White Materia, must be destroyed before our dear departed friend and ally can return to the Planet."

The room was silent for what seemed like ages, the words that Nanaki had just spoken seemed to take their time seeping into the minds of the people occupying the room. A weight seemed laid upon everyone, heads bent in solemn remembrance. An unbidden shiver ran up and down Yuffie's spine, causing her to shudder against her will. Vincent too, seemed somewhat fazed by this news.

'_I never really spoke to the young woman,_' he thought. '_She most likely only knew my name. Only once, did I ever seriously hold a conversation with her, and that was while tending my wounds._' He turned his attention back to the giant lion, who was preparing to speak once more.

"Cloud…was the sole person Aeris trusted with her entire life. She needed a way to get help; to get the message out that she was still here and desired to move on. As it stands, Cloud will not awaken until she moves on."

Vincent bent his head.

"So, Cloud's alleged illness is a side effect?"

The lion shook his head.

"Not necessarily. If it is to be called a side effect of anything, it is a side effect of stress. It could be caused from the stressful nightmares or stress from anything else."

Yuffie hopped up enthusiastically.

"Okay! So, all we have to do is find the White Materia and destroy it, right?!"

"Correct."

The gunman uncrossed his arms.

"When do we leave?"

"…whenever you see fit; preferably immediately."

Vincent picked up Cerberus from beside the wall and put it in his gun holster. Yuffie smirked.

"I guess that means we're leaving now, huh?"

Nanaki lowered his head.

"I would accompany you if I could, but being the new appointed High-Elder of Cosmo Canyon, I have my duties here. Also, I would like to stay here to watch over Cloud."

Tifa lowered her eyes.

"I…would like to stay here with Cloud too…if that's not a problem. I mean, I want to come more than anything…" the woman looked up now, "but my place is beside Cloud. I'm sorry."

Vincent laid a gloved hand on Tifa's shoulder momentarily.

"You have nothing to apologize for. You should stay here; Cloud would like to know you are by his side."

Yuffie pulled her backpack over her shoulder and checked her Materia, silently rolling her grey eyes at the dark gunman. "So, how are we going to get there?"

Cid, as if on queue, walked through the door; the scent of cigarettes and cheep beer filled the room along with the very distinct swear sound of swearing.

"I can't get the Shera running for anything! I've got the boys outside working on it…but it may take a couple of days…maybe a week."

Yuffie crossed her arms.

"What's wrong with it?"

"'Seems that the engine's blown. We either have to fix it or order a new one."

Tifa jumped up and balled her fists.

"We don't have a week! Cloud's suffering! Isn't there some other way to get there?"

Nanaki padded over to the door.

"The old red Buggy is parked right outside the village. I will have someone ready it for you."

"Hey Highwind," Yuffie asked, "Aren't you coming?"

"Sorry kiddo. I've gotta stay and watch over the airship's repair. And Shera won't let me go on anymore 'adventures'. Hey, if I die, what'll my kids do, huh?"

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Yuffie watched Cosmo Canyon disappear into a distant dot as Vincent drove the Buggy across the landscape that was slowly turning from the red and brown rock to soft grass whose color had dimmed due to the colder weather. A dirt road ran through the country-side, which hadn't been there when they last passed through. The shinobi leaned her head against the window of the vehicle and sighed, leaving a small patched of fog from her breath. The sun was going down now, but still visible over the mountains.

"Hey Vince, which cities are we going to stop at along the way? I mean, we aren't going to _drive_ all the way to the Northern Continent…right?"

"We will only be stopping when needed. On this continent, we will stop in Nibelhiem, North Corel (if needed), and Costa Del Sol in that order," the gunman answered, eyes still trained on the road ahead and steering with his clawed hand.

"From there, we will take a boat to Bone Village and then we will go from there by foot."

"Dang, that's going to take _forever_…! But I guess if it's going to help Cloud then it can't be helped." She said sensibly, bringing her knees close to her, wrapping her arms around them.

Vincent stole a glance at Yuffie out of the corner of his eye, making sure that was really her sitting beside him. He had almost been waiting for her to suggest staying at the Gold Saucer…but she hadn't. '_Hn, she has grown up…' _he thought to himself.

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**Author's Note: Yeah, that took me a while, right? Blech. I'm currently writing THREE stories at the moment; this one, a Tikku (Tidus and Rikku) and a Sora and Kairi one-shot. If someone could PLEASE suggest a good title I would be forever in your debt! It's from Kairi's perspective: she's standing by the ocean as she remembers their promise. Fluff. **

**PS:**

**I'm still trying to decide how and with what they're going to destroy the White Materia with...can ya'll give me an idea? Please and Thank you!  
**


	8. Car Trouble

**Chapter Eight: Car Trouble**

**Disclaimer: Square Enix owns FFVII. P'shaw. **

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Yuffie snapped into consciousness as her body was jerked forward, her face half an inch away from the dash-board of the small buggy; thankfully, the seat-belt had saved her from a head-on collision, literally. She sat there for a moment in a half-awake stupor before realizing where she was and what had just happened. She snapped her head to the left to see Vincent Valentine slumped over the steering-wheel of the vehicle with blood trickling from the spot where his head had impacted the window. Yuffie unbuckled herself and pulled the man upright, his head lolling onto his shoulder, hair spilling over his face.

"Vince! Wake up!" she said, although it came out involuntarily as a strangled sound in the middle of a whisper and a scream. She jerked to the right and tried to pry the door open, but it wouldn't budge. Yuffie let a swear word slip as she cursed the situation and whoever's bright idea it was to install a roof on the previously roof-less vehicle. If it weren't there, all she would have to do is hop out. '_Hey, wait a sec--_,' she reached under her seat until her hand brushed against cool metal. It was her Conformer. She silently thanked Leviathan as she swung back as far as she dared without further inuring the vehicle or the man that was rendered unconscious beside her. She thrust her arm forward, causing the glass to shatter as her weapon impacted the window and then used the edge it to scrape the rest of the glass away so she could slip through the opening without cutting herself accidentally. But even being the Great Ninja Yuffie Kisaragi could not spare her a few shards of glass in her hands and legs, but what were scratches and cuts compared to the situation at hand?

Ignoring her trivial injuries, she ran to the driver's door and for a moment, caught a glimpse of the damage done to the front of the buggy; the whole bumper seemed to be non-existent and black smoke was slowly rising from the hood, leaving the intoxicating smell of gasoline filled the air. She half-tripped in the dark as her shaking hands, hands that were so deft with the shiruken only moments earlier, flung the car door open. The man slumped toward Yuffie, near knocking her over, as she unbuckled his seat-belt. She had slipped her arms under his and began to pull him out of the vehicle when a small flicker of light caught her eye from under the car. Yuffie's breath hitched as she realized what it was: fire; and it was moving slowly toward the engine that was half imbedded into a tree. In a panic, she pulled the gunman's body more franticly, only to realize…he was stuck.

"C'mon, move it Vinnie!" she said as she pulled with all her strength. The fire was spreading faster now, increasing the shinobi's frustration and panic. She loosened her arms for a moment and dug her feet into the ground, as the shards of glass in her hand dug into her skin, and counted backwards from three in Wutanise. The flame reached the hood of the car as her arms tightened. And then she pulled. Between the explosion and the heave, they flew backwards. She clutched onto him for dear life, silently praying that they would be okay. No, not they at all; him…that hey would be okay. And then they fell; pain seared up and down her right side as her body came in contact with the ground, but only partially as her fall was half-broken by the gunman. Her last thoughts before she faded into darkness did not revolve around herself, much to her own surprise. She thought solely of Tifa and of Cloud…and of the dark gunman who lay with his arms about her, seemingly protecting her in his unconsciousness.

**-----**

Tifa watched with half-opened eyes as the liquid nutrients passed through the I.V and into Cloud's arm. She hadn't moved from that spot for the longest time. How long had it been, she asked herself. Was it an hour; an eternity? She slowly turned her tired eyes to the clock on the wall. Three hours had passed since she last got up from the chair in the corner, not two feet away from where the man slept. Sleep…it sounded so good right about now, but every time she began to doze off, she could have swore she heard him calling her name. And here she was again, on the brink of sleep…and she was falling for it again.

'Tifa…'

'Tifa……'

"Tifa!"

She jerked up once more, but not to face Cloud, only Nanaki with one paw in her lap, which he removed once she sat upright again.

"You shouldn't be sleeping in a chair," said the giant lion as he padded toward the door, "it's bad for your neck. Come back to Grandfather's house where you can rest properly."

Tifa shook her head wearily.

"I want to stay here. If I can't go with Vincent and Yuffie, then I could at least sit by his side."

Nanaki lowered his head and then looked at her over his shoulder.

"Cloud… would want you to get some rest, Tifa."

She pondered this for a moment, and then stood up in submission.

"I guess you're right. Thank you," she began to smile, but such a thing seemed nigh impossible at the moment. "Would you mind telling the doctor to inform me as soon a something happens?"

Nanaki nudged the door open.

"Of course, Tifa; now go and rest."

She bowed and made her way out the door and up the earthen stairs to Nanaki's Grandfather's house. As she climbed the ladder to the upper-most level of Cosmo, she felt more tired than she had been in a very long time. Not because of the climb, no, she wasn't tired in that way; she was mentally and spiritually fatigued. Thankfully, there was a couch beside the entrance of the dwelling, where as soon as she lay down, she drifted into a deep sleep in which a certain man was forever calling her name…

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**Hello everyone, I'm back! Gawd, I'm soooo sorry for not updating when I was supposed to. Life just yanked me by the hoodie and dragged me back to reality. That sucks. Anywho, I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years...so yeah. **

**REVIEW!**


	9. I Won't Leave You, Yuffie

**Chapter Nine: I Won't Leave You, Yuffie**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or the characters, regretfully. But since I don't, I write Fanfictions. So the plot-line is ultimately my own, so no stealing. If you do, I will toss stale muffins at you; mildewed and stale muffins. Yes, I will.**

**Warning: Freakishly bad attempt at morbid writing ahead. Read at your own peril. **

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Vincent's eyes opened slowly at first, letting his surroundings seep in. There was soft rain on his face; he could feel each individual droplet roll down his cheek. He felt cold all over, except in the region of his chest and arms, which was abnormally warm. Looking down, a small form was pressed against him, shivering from the freezing rain that came in contact with her skin. Eyes snapping all the way open, he sat up abruptly, pulling the young woman off of the soaking wet grass. He could tell she had a fever through his glove as he brushed the damp hair out of her closed eyes. '_She needs to get to Nibelhiem…'_ he thought, making an attempt to stand, staggering as he did, muscles screaming in protest. But he wasn't concerned about himself; only caring about the injured and perhaps sick shinobi, although quite frankly, that scared him and the fact that his caring scared him frightened him all the more.

He shook his head, abandoning such thoughts as he concentrated on moving forward. Not that the terrain was bad, on the contrary it was quite pleasant when it wasn't raining for foggy, but the wreck, and not to mention the explosion, had rendered him extremely sore. But then, his current state was nothing compared to how Yuffie would probably feel once she woke up.

The howling of a wolf in the distance caused Vincent to automatically move for the Death Penalty and then remembered the unconscious girl in his arms. He couldn't defend her and carry her at the same time. He contemplated this for a moment and then decided on simply moving forward, avoiding anything that would be considered a threat. Covering Yuffie with the dry portion of his cloak, he pressed her closer to himself unconsciously, moving forward though the heavy fog and rain.

**-----**

_Yuffie stood in the middle of the Forgotten City, the pale trees shone brightly in the dark. Her surroundings seemed to have a voice of their own, like the Planet breathed through them. It almost felt like someone was walking right beside her…a familiar presence guiding her along the path although she walked alone. Yet the quiet did not last long, as a scream filled the air. She ran towards the sound until the source was in sight; but then, her feet refused to move any further and her eyes widened in shock._

_Cloud was kneeling over a black pool of water, his face hidden to her, whispering the all too familiar name of the dearly departed Cetra in between screams of pain that were seemingly ripped from his chest. Yuffie called out his name over and over. The man wrenched his neck around in an impossible degree and his eyes locked onto hers. And what she saw made tears of utter horror and pity flow from her eyes: his eyes that were once so beautiful had no color to them at all with dark rings underneath, his skin was a sickly color that look like that of someone who hadn't slept in days, and fresh blood stained his lips. She tried to run, by the gods how she tried, but instead of running away, she moved forwards against her will. Soon, she was only inches away from him. 'Cloud…' she whispered, tears flowing faster now. _

_But the man in front of her faded away gradually, revealing a beautiful girl with soft brown hair and a light pink dress. The young woman's tears stopped suddenly the warm touch of the Cetra's hand pressed against her damp cheek. 'Aeris…' muttered the shinobi in disbelief as the figure in front of her continued to stroke her cheek. She couldn't believe it: the woman in front of her was three years dead, and here she stood in front of her, smiling to her hearts content. For a moment, time had really stopped and her best friend in the whole entire world was standing in front of her. She closed her eyes and felt herself smiling back. Every happy memory that they had shared came flooding back. Her eyes snapped open as the warmth from Yuffie's face disappeared abruptly as the Ancient's hand slid from the surprised shinobi's cheek and hung limp by her side. She tried to step back and then a wave of panic swept over her when she realized that she could not. _

'_Yuffie…help me. Please…help **us**,' whispered Aeris. Yuffie's eyes grew wide in horror as her best-friend no longer stood before her, but a three-year dead corpse simply resembling the Cetra, whose water-logged arm was reaching out for her…._

**-----**

A scream tore itself from Yuffie's throat as she sat up with a jolt, her short-cut Wutanise flying forward and then settling on her sweating face. She looked around at her surroundings in a panic, then suddenly realizing she was no longer in the Forgotten City, but in a normal room on a normal bed. Well, not exactly normal. The room was very old: the window had a make-shift curtain thrown over it made of a torn sheet, dust was everywhere, the wall-paper was yellow and peeling with age, brown withered roses lay cast aside in the glass shards of what used to be a vase across the room, and the smell of death lingered in the air. That rancid smell…the smell of rotten flesh that reminded her of the water-logged corpse that had seemingly stood before her moments earlier made a thick, warm bile rise in Yuffie's throat.

She bent over the bed instinctively as she puked onto the floor. Falling back onto the mattress, she didn't care about the small cloud of dust that bellowed around her that caused to her to sneeze furiously. At that moment, she heard the door swing open slowly on rusty hinges. Startled, she sat up abruptly, but as she did, the room began to spin and she felt more bile rise in her throat. The dizzy shinobi felt herself falling back slowly, but when she expected her back to come in contact with the mattress and her head with the wall, she felt something warm come up behind her, catching her. Looking up, her grey eyes locked onto serious crimson ones.

"Vinnie…where am I?" she asked as he settled her up into a sitting position.

"Nibelhiem," he said softly, "Can you remember what happened?"

Memories flooded back; _A crash, explosion, pain, cold rain, and then darkness._

"We had an accident and you were stuck. I tried to pull you out…then the buggy exploded…an oil leak or something, I dunno. And then…oh god!" She cringed as the events of her dream presented themselves. She felt a feeling of dread run through her blood, stealing its warmth. She brought her hands to her face, trying to dispel the images of her best-friend's corpse standing in front of her…arms out stretching, begging for a way out of her hell.

"Yuffie…what's wrong," he asked as her eyes snapped shut. She then related to him the events of her dream—no, nightmare. Every detail rushed forward in a burst of terror.

"…and then I woke up. Vincent, they're suffering. Cloud and Aeris, they are both stuck in that place and they can't escape. But a part of me…is still stuck in there too. It just keeps replaying itself in the back of my mind…it just won't leave me alone…it was like it really happened…it was…too real…"

Vincent understood that feeling all too well. In the black depths of his mind, he could remember the day so vividly…where Lucrecia had related to him the events of his father's death. He could remember the anger he felt when he realized how much she had kept from him. She had ultimately rejected him for Hojo and surrendered her only child to immoral experiments, contributing to the near-destruction of the world. And yet…there were many chances that he could have intervened. He could have saved her from herself…and he failed. Thus, his many sins came back every night in the form of nightmares; a part of him forever succumbed to that torment, unable to let go. And now, Yuffie was forced to bear a similar burden, even though the events never technically happened…but perhaps they did…what if Aeris really did communicate with her… He snapped out of his morbid thoughts as a choked sob came from the throat of the young woman beside him.

"Why…why did all of this have to happen? Why can't she just rest in peace?"

Vincent pondered this question, but no answer presented itself.

"I can't answer that, Yuffie, although I wish I could."

She wrapped her arms around her knees and pulled them to her chest.

"…but why did she have to die in the first place? Gawd, everyone just enjoys leaving little Yuffie Kisaragi, huh," she clenched her fists as she said this, anger seeping into her voice, "First Mama, then Aeris, my only friend the whole world, and then Dad just had to keel over leaving me heir to the _freaking_ throne, huh? And now Cloud! Everyone I get close to just dies or gets into trouble! What are you going to die too, Vinnie, huh? I'm so _sick_ and _tired_ of being alone…"

She sat there for what seemed like ages until she felt herself being gently pulled against a wall of cool leather; it was Vincent. His golden claw held her close, careful not to pierce her skin with its wickedly sharp digits.

"I won't leave you, Yuffie," the man whispered, his voice a low rumble in his chest.

"...promise?"

He closed his eyes as she moved closer to him. Who was he to make such a promise? He had made a similar promise to Lucrecia...one he couldn't keep. But that was long ago...and this was now. Could he keep this one? Could he afford not to...?

"I promise."

**-----**

**A/N: OH MY GAWD that took FOREVER! It was done, and then my computer crashed. Then we had to wipe it. Yay. sarcasam Then I had to write part of it AGAIN. Gah. Stay tunned for the next chapter!!**


	10. A Gift

**Chapter Ten: A Gift**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or the characters. The plot of this story is my own, so no stealing.**

**-----**

"Tifa."

The woman's eyes snapped open, revealing not the Cosmo Canyon dwelling that she fell asleep in, but a world of pure white. Sitting up, she felt her hand brush up against something soft.

Flowers.

As she stood up, she realized she was surrounded by them; the same ones that were in _her_ Church.

"Don't turn around."

Just as she was about to turn her head, Tifa felt a presence at her back. It was warm and made her hair stand on end. And that voice, it sounded like…

"Cloud! Where are you--,"

"I'll disappear if you turn around."

Hearing this, she kept her head forward, although it took everything in her not to do so. She had so many things she wanted to ask him, so many things she was unsure of.

"…when will you come home, Cloud?"

He sighed with uncertainty.

"I don't know. She and I are still trying to figure things out."

"Aeris?"

He nodded.

"We know we have to destroy the White Materia…but we're still trying to figure out how."

"That's what Nanaki told me."

He chuckled.

"Hm, Red was always the wisest of our group; even more so than Vincent."

"Oh, speaking of him, he and Yuffie are headed to the City of the Ancients to find the White Materia. They're going to bring it back to Cosmo so we can try to find a way to break it."

He sighed.

"That's not going to work. The thing is that it can not be destroyed by brute strength. The White Materia was made unbreakable."

"Then how are we supposed to destroy it?"

"_The answer doesn't lie with the physical world_."

"Did she tell you that?"

"Yeah."

She hung her head. _Looks like she's got everything taken care of_, she thought. _After the first battle with Sephiroth, it seems like I've always been set off to the side to run the Bar or take care of the kids. I really do want to aid my friends who are all working so hard…_

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her right shoulder.

"Tifa?"

"Yes, Cloud?"

"Be strong for me, okay?"

Nodding, she placed her left hand on his.

"I'll be strong for you so I can welcome you home."

"Sounds like a plan."

**-----**

The world of white had faded away and she was in Cosmo one more. Sitting up, she felt something in-between her index and middle finger. It was a single flower.

"Thank you, Cloud."

Standing up, she walked into the kitchen and put the white flower in a vase and then looked out the window. It was very early in the morning, but she felt as if she had slept all night and most of the day. Full of energy, she made herself a light breakfast and then headed down the infirmary.

**-----**

**Author's Note: Yes, I know, this was short, but it's better than nothing, right? Good. So don't complain. Anyway, I have finally figured out how the story is going to end. ((Yes, I have been writing without knowing the ending.)) So…Yay! **

**tosses confetti into the air**

**So yeah, this chapter is a 4****th**** of July present for ya'll.**

**fireworks go off**

**In other news, I just finished this awesome anime series called 'Death Note'. Totally kicks behind. Read it. Or suffer! cackles**

**Oh, and for those who read the series, I'm going to be crossplaying as Yagami Light soon…an uber bishie version of him. **

**With all of that being said, peace out!**

**-C**


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